Dusk Dancing
by Evening Lilacs
Summary: Seething heat, passion, intense attraction, simmering slowly onto a shadowy dance floor, creeping back up through every prickling, anxious vein in your body, the harsh, powerful, inescapable bounds of love... :AU, AtemuAnzu:
1. Facaya

**Disclaimer**: Takahashi-sama and co. I am not. A lowly fanfic authoress I am. Talk like Yoda I do. Seen Star Wars too many times I have. Own Yugioh and Star Wars I do not.

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**Dusk Dancing**

**Facaya- Steps of the Imagination

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_Spin... flow...  
_

No, this wasn't working. She was mere inches from him; much too close. Atemu again pushed gently further away from Shizuka. He did it gently, but inwardly he was disgusted. How could people possibly enjoy such a mindless waste of time as dancing? Especially -he shuddered involuntarily- _Dusk Dancing?_

It was a nauseating concept really, that of dawn and dusk dancing. Sawn dancing, the light side of the matter, group dancing, was to extract and work out the playful side of souls. Dusk dancing, partner dancing, was to twist and chop the dark side of your soul, the side that waited in the shadows, in your subconsciousness, driven by feelings, feelings out of your control. It was designed to blow on small flames kindled deep within you, to rub the flint stones of your emotions together, until a fire of attraction burned inside of you.

Quite frankly, the Eythereau prince did not want his mind toyed with that way. It was an easy feeling to simply surrender your whole being to, and certainly no one else in the dancing hall seemed to mind it, but...

Her eyes fluttered open, round and deep like freshly chopped tree stubs, sweet and caring yet brimming with life and personality. He willed himself not to get lost in her physical beauty, as the exhilaration of the dance they were currently engaged in was pushing him to do.

"What is it, love?" she asked quietly, smiling and giggling prettily in pleasure as he pulled her into a low dip, the instrumentalists around them flying into tingly slurs of mystic pitches.

He took his time answering to that title of 'love.' Engagement didn't necessarily entail love between the two engaged. It definitely didn't. Not so soon.

"This dancing..."

"Hmm...?" She leaned her head on his shoulder, placing both hands on his chest. He despaired, nervously glancing around the Eythereau palace's spacious dusk dancing hall for a route of escape, hoping for some great inspiration to strike him, to jump out from in back of a stone pillar, to shine down on him from one of the many glittering chandeliers, or to walk up and save him from behind another couple, another two people deeply absorbed in the fluidity of the _sarala_ dance.

Or at least, it was the potential for the simple _facaya_ to become a sarala. The two were so alike, yet different in too many ways to name. Neither had cement steps; rather couples forged their own beat and path as instrumentalists did the same thing. There was no rhyme or rhythm to this dance of feelings, just the drive to carry on with it. And if that drive was strong enough, the facaya became a sarala.

Sarala. That was not a level Prince Atemu wanted to take this dance to.

"Shizuka... we're a little close..."

"No, we're not. You can't expect to dance a proper sarala without being a bit close, do you?" She ran a finger up his bare arm, and it took all his will not to purr in pleasure. He cursed his involuntary thoughts. Shizuka was in the Eythereau dawn dancing competition dancing troupe, and that talent seemed to seep through her very touch. It was soft, smooth, and soothing, yet chilly and alien, like freezing water slithering its way down his arm, numbing his ability to think clearly.

"Yes, but..."

"Come on, love..."

"Shizuka, I..."

"You what?"

He shook his head. "'Zuka, I've had enough dancing for tonight."

"But-"

"No." He swiftly detached himself from her grasp and fled the dusk dancing hall, walking at a brisk pace down an empty corridor, the light of its many torches his only companion as he made his way around the palace, hastily running from Shizuka.

The hallway's side graciously opened up to become a wide balcony, overlooking the bubbling indigo North Eythereau ocean. He stepped over to the stone railing and leaned into it, closing his eyes and allowing the magical Eythereau sea air to whip around him, pleasantly caressing his face and hissing ancient aquatic tales in his ears.

"Son."

"... Father. You followed me?"

"Why did you so obviously deny Shizuka just now? Are the two of you in an argument? Are you-"

"_No, _Father."

"Then what caused you to desert her so suddenly?" Akhenemkhanen, King of Eythereau, quirked an eyebrow.

His son sighed. What was he to say? The truth was that he was uncomfortable dancing such a dance with Shizuka. That wouldn't be believed by the king, not by a long shot. Most males his age would die for a chance to dance a facaya with such an attractive young woman as Shizuka, and would quickly see to it that the dance evolved into a full-out sarala.

"I just... the dance was..." He scrambled for a believable excuse- "It was quite warm in the dusk dancing hall, Father. I... I fled for fear of possibly throwing up on Shizuka. You... you know how I can be sensitive to heat in that way."

"Aye, but maybe an apology to her wold be in order, poor girl. I can't believe how you treat her sometimes--almost like you don't wish to marry!" He laughed, the low, sickening chuckle causing the prince to hide his face in the shadow of a column on the balcony, for it had suddenly become the flushed hue of a setting sun, heat rushing through his face. He cursed under his breath.

"Are you all right, son?"

"Y-yes. I'm fine, Father. I believe that I just need to retire early tonight, that's all."

The king nodded. "Do so, then. I don't believe that our dawn troupe needs much more training tonight. Have you seen them practice?"

"No. I've been studying dance, not taking part in dancing, as you said to."

"Ah, yes. Well, I personally think it's our best yet. Anzu, Amane, Kisara, Shizuka, Mai, and Miho, in that order of rank. They're fabulous."

"And who is Anzu's partner for the dusk competition?"

"Johnny."

"Again? Don't the males usually only last a year?"

"Those two were fantastic last year, and they work wonderfully together."

The teen prince nodded, closing his eyes and sniffing in deeply the tangy ocean air. His nostrils came alive as the delightful gulf scent reached them, filled with great knowledge sprung from leagues deeper than where he leaned on the railing.

"Have you any idea who the Ergden dancers will be this year?"

"Truthfully, none at all. There's no way to narrow anything down with Ergden. Their dawn dancing troupe is mixed-gender, so it's impossible to say who they'll take on."

"Why do all those people with dancing gifts here in Eythereau seem to be females, with the exception of a few males?"

"Ah, I believe you can figure that one out."

"Well... if all high gifts come from the gods at the time of the birth of the person that is to be gifted... did our men once contact the gods?"

Akhenemkhanen nodded silently.

"So... did the males hand the gift over to the females, through the gods?"

Again, the elder nodded.

"Why?"

"Why would you give someone some of your gaming gift?"

"...So they would be a challenge to play?"

"Yes. Now, apply that to what you are trying to figure out."

"The males... told the gods... to gift mainly females with dancing... because... ugh."

Akhenemkhanen smirked. "I believe you've got it. Yes, many centuries ago, we males surrendered the gods' dancing gifts to females, in hopes of getting more out of dancing for ourselves."

"That's an unsavory explanation."

"Aye, but unfortunately it is the truth."

This greatly disgusted the prince. "That's solely for the sake of better dusk dancing... didn't it affect the Eythereau dawn at all?"

"No, because we can still make up our national dawn competition troupe of all females, as the dusk competition is the only one that requires a male and a female. We can still compete against the other countries, and display just as much talent as we did before the dancing gift ran prominent, if not exclusively, among females."

"Why must our nations compete so much? Is it not enough to have the knowledge of great dancers, and not to boast it?"

"Ah, but you've forgotten that the knowledge that comes with a dancing gift is subconscious. That's what is weighed at these competitions, remember? Or are your studies not paying off?"

"I just wish that we would devote more time to exercising the mind, as well."

"Aye, this is a hard place to live with such an intelligence gift as the gods bestowed upon you. But dancing, as you'll come to understand, is our universal language. That is why you must learn it. Not only that, but you also are gifted in dancing. Why should you not enjoy learning about something that comes so easily to you?"

"But what good is learning all about it, if you forget everything the second you come out to the floor?"

"It is in your subconsciousness, as I've said."

"Yes, but everything happens too fast to give you any time to think. I don't see why all dancing can't be like that, centering on instinct rather than 'cement rules in your subconsciousness'."

"Some say real dancing does."

Atemu sighed.

"Tired, son?"

"Yes."

"Then go to sleep. You do remember that the masquerade dance offering is tomorrow, do you not?"

Actually, he _had_ forgotten. How could he? The masquerade dance, one of the few dances he liked, was an offering of dancing power to the Eythereau gods, human power in return for the gods' blessings. It was part of the balance that all of Eythereau tried to keep constant at all times. The gods--Horakhti for dawn dancing, Zorc for dusk dancing, Exodia for strength, Obelisk for strategy, Osiris for knowledge, and Ra for wisdom--did as well.

"Yes. We choose costume slips at sunrise?"

"In the dawn dancing hall, yes."

The prince nodded. "Yes. Goodnight, Father."

* * *

Atemu stared at the slip he'd drawn out of a basket. 

_A dragon? WHAT is a dragon?_

Katsuya, a nineteen-year-old guard-in-training, looked over Atemu's shoulder at the younger's piece of paper. "Dragon, eh?"

"Oh, hey Katsuya. Do you know what a dragon is?"

"No clue. Ask Hiroto or Ryuuji." He looked out through the packed dawn dancing hall, trying to locate his fellow guards-in-training. "YO, HIROTO! RYUUJI!"

A spike-head and a dice-boy soon came to stand next to Katsuya and Atemu.

"Yo, do either of you know what a dragon is?"

"Nope."

"Nuh-uh, sorry dude. Why?"

"'Temu here drew a dragon from the costume-slip basket."

"Well, he's gonna have trouble dressing up if he doesn't know what he's supposed to be."

"..."

"...Sorry..."

"Excuse me?" a light voice inquired from behind the group. The four turned around to identify the speaker.

"Ryou, wasup?"

"Uh... hi, Kat. Have any of you seen Amane or Dorobo? We're supposed to be setting up for the offering ritual..."

"Amane too? I thought it was you in charge of the dawn dancing and Dorobo with the dusk dancing, and your mom with the binding of the powers and whatnot."

"My mother... she passed away last night... We thought she would make it through another week but... you can't prevent death. So Amane has the power now."

Atemu was stunned. "Oh Ryou, I'm sorry."

Ryou sniffed, giving a weak smile. "It's okay. You didn't know. But I really must find those two..."

"Sorry, we haven't seen them."

"All right then, thanks..." He turned to leave.

"Wait, Ryou?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know what a dragon is?"

"A dragon? Oh yes, dragons... they're mythical creatures that people on a planet called Earth believe in, or at least, some of the people believe in them. They're often depicted as large bird-like creatures, and often with scales all over their bodies. Our gods Osiris and Ra are dragons, by Earth's definition," he rattled off absentmindedly, toying with a bit of his long, blank hair.

"Oh, thanks Ryou!"

"No problem." The near-albino disappeared into the swarm in the dusk dancing hall, many Eythereauians now leaving to throw together their costumes in the alloted hour before the masquerade offering festivities began.

"Shit, we'd better get workin' on these things if we're gonna be in the ritual," Hiroto observed.

They parted, all back to their respective chambers.

_So... like Osiris and Ra..._

The prince looked through his wardrobe in the room he shared with his younger brother and two male cousins, trying to find something that appeared remotely draconic.

Fighting armor.

Commoner disguise.

Traveling cloak.

Sword.

Dressy special occasion clothes.

_Wait... commoner disguise...?_

He took out the garment and laid in on his bed, examining it carefully. Commoners, the un-gifted, wore clothes of dreamy sky-blue, like the robe he wore when he went into the village in disguise. The fabric was rough, nearly scaly, and tattered around the edges.

_Maybe... a windy dragon? Do those exist?_

He figured that if no one on Eythereau knew what they were anyway, it would go unnoticed if they didn't actually exist. Donning the robe, he eyed his reflection in a mirror next to the wardrobe.

_Hair. Need to hide the hair. WHY did the gods see fit to curse me with this hair? It makes dressing for these masquerades a pain in the-_

"Atemu?"

"Hmm? Who's there?"

"It's Shizuka. Can I come in?"

"Uh... I'm still getting dressed... and besides, don't you want to find out what I was afterwards, so it's more... mysterious? Don't women swoon for the whole 'man of mystery' thing?"

He heard her giggle. "Okay. Just remember to dance with a certain water princess, okay?"

"And who might this water princess be? Certainly the lovely young woman I'm engaged to wouldn't mask her pretty face?"

"She would for this. Just remember--water princess."

"I will, 'Zuka. I'll look for the most beautiful girl there."

"All right. I'll see you down there, then."

"'Kay, 'Zuka."

She left, her light footsteps clicking daintily down the hall.

_Hair... still need to hide the hair._

He pulled the cloak's hood down low over his eyes, tied it down with a bit of silver rope from under his bed, and picked up and put on the chest part of his body armor. If dragons were supposed to have shiny scales, maybe that would work.

_Mask._

A piece of blue fabric to match his robes draped over his face served as a mask, and Atemu was finished. By the sun's position outside his window, it had been nearly an hour since the slip-drawing. He headed down to the dawn dancing hall, where the dancing and ritual would begin.

What he didn't know was that within a few hours' time, he would have defied the will of his father, the will of the gods, and the will of destiny. Taking part in a certain dusk dancing ritual, and after doing so, he would never be the same.


	2. Zagava

**Disclaimer**: Takahashi-sama I am not. A lowly fanfiction authoress I am. Talk like Yoda I do. Seen Star Wars too many times I have. Own Yugioh and Star Wars I do not.

Peoples, this IS an AtemuAnzu fic! Do not worry! You will see how by the end of this chapter, at the very latest!

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Dusk Dancing  
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**Zagava -**** Steps Masked

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Atemu hurried into the dawn dancing hall, tugging at his cloth mask. Just in time.

He found a place in the circle of Eythereauians, panting, as King Ahkenemkhanen stepped forward into the circle's center.

The hall was swept silent in an instant, the king's very presence a command to, in Katsuya's words, 'Shut the hell up and listen if you damn well value your life.'

"Fargon a hugsned qéi fasryo!" The crowd joined hands, their circle growing in size as last-minute stragglers ran into the hall, ready for the ritual.

"Naf ga tomier definjo!"

Atemu mumbled, "Yadda yadda edgi ha no hiem," along with the rest of the crowd, and continued on, "Wara thouji kiplef ni hara-yo greaf..." When the prayer ended, silence filled the hall as everyone closed their eyes tightly, waiting for the gods' light to cascade over them.

A zing, like an earthly lightning bolt, spread through the giant circle as the citizens clung to one another, all falling to their knees under the weight of the gods' light, which struck with enough force to bowl over an elephant.

Atemu gasped, feeling the blow on his back, and something creep up his neck. _Not now! I can't throw up now!_ He felt the person next to him grasp his hand tighter, and squeezed thankfully on their fingers. Everyone understood the pain of receiving such a message from the gods, even if it was worth it afterwards. Only residents of the Eythereau palace could take part in such a ritual, being the god-gifted among the large Eythereau society. There were spellcasters and fighters, some with great physical skill and some with superior intelligence, illusionists, prophets, and dancers. Dancing was the highest godly gift an Eythereauian could possible receive at his or her birth, and to have a god-gifted dancer in your clan meant to be honored by all of Eythereau.

The ritual _zagava_ dance began, an offering of purity to the gods. Atemu rose, crossing his legs to the steady beat and following the flow of the ritual, still dizzy from the shock of being hit by the gods' light. Was it just him, or had it hit him particularly hard that year...?

A final drumbeat ended the ritual dance and the masked circle broke apart. Atemu looked up to the person next to him.

"Thank you, from when the light hit..."

"No problem."

It was a female figure, about his own height. Dressed in all ocean-hued blue, as he was, bangles and bracelets glittering from her wrists and ankles. Her face was shrouded by a thin gray cloth, her voice light and pretty.

_'Water princess...'_ Atemu smiled inwardly. A bit of chestnut hair peaked out from the girl's cloak hood, and on her feet were the silvery heels the Eythereau dancers wore. Shizuka.

"Would you like to dance with me, 'Water Princess?'"

A soft giggle came from behind her mask. "Water princess... you sure know how to charm a girl."

He extended his arm for her to take, and they headed out to the dusk dancing hall. A small group of couples was already dancing to the snappy notes of a traditional zagava, fast-paced yet easily mastered.

"Shall we?" he asked, switching his hand to hers. She nodded, and they began to dance.

Atemu admired how Shizuka could set amazing beauty to such a staccato-dominated dance, and his senses bloomed as he brought her into a tight spin, turning around and snapping back just as she twirled back into his left arm, her back falling over it gracefully as she leaned trustingly into a dip, he stepping in back of her and setting both hands firmly on her waist, gently lifting her up. She turned to face him, each staring into the other's masks, trying to find eyes beneath cloth.

She snapped her wrist away from his in time with the music, he grinning as their very souls lifted their minds into new dimensions, each rising to meet the other's call. Atemu's head spun, he reminded that love in Eythereau was destined through dusk dancing. He felt so alive, so whole, dancing now. He hadn't remembered ever feeling this way around Shizuka, like pure, raw emotion had thrown him up into the sky. He was touching the heavens, and he didn't ever want to fall back down.

Neither did she. Wonder stunned the coffee-haired girl's spirit as the dance's sharp, thick chords rang through her head. Her feet felt light and airy as soft snow beneath her as she allowed him to lead the way, falling into a perfect, harmonious step behind him. His arm around her waist was strong, confident, and gentle, sending chills up her side as he flung her into another brilliant spin, this time clasping their hands above their heads as they flew about together, existing in a world of pastel dreams and floating breaths of silky air.

They continued in this manner for dance after dance, each panting at the and of a fifth.

"Would you like to sit down?" he asked, breathless from not only the physical exertion of dancing, but from the effects this dance in particular had had on his body.

"Yes, let's."

He took her hand, leading her over to a balcony just outside the hall. They sat on one of the benches, silent for a few minutes as each caught their breath.

"That... that was amazing..."

"I've never danced like that in my life."

Silence fell over the couple again, until he stood and asked, "Dance again?"

She responded by dashing off to the dusky hall. "Catch me to dance with me!"

_'Two can play at that game.'_

He ran after her, following the trail of her floating blue gown through many dancing couples.

Closer... closer...

He leapt forward, catching her around the waist with a steady arm. She gasped softly, then relaxed into his grasp, the two beginning to flow to the smooth music sounding through the hall.

Atemu grinned inwardly, loving the sensation of his mind leaving him as they moved as one, their two bodies together creating a beautiful, fluid bond, blending gently into quiet yet immensely powerful music.

_'Father was right. I just needed some time to get to know Shizuka. This is amazing... I knew she was a terrific dancer, but I can't remember her being THIS good...'_

A few hours more passed as they danced, becoming more in-tune to the music's melody and to each other with every second. Atemu's feet felt programmed to move perfectly under him, his arms to move at the right moments, his hands to set themselves gently on her waist as they swayed naturally, thoroughly wrapped up in the exhilarating flow of the zagava.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed slightly upwards, staring into the depths of his mask.

"Mmph... Who are you?"

Atemu shook his head. He'd toy with his fiancée a bit longer. "Guess."

"What a mean guy you are."

He chuckled. "Thank you."

"That wasn't supposed to be a compliment, you know."

"Thanks anyway."

"You're an odd person."

"Proud of it."

A small giggle came from beneath her mask. "At least you're a good dancer."

His eyes softened beneath his own mask, and he reached up a hand, sliding it under her veil to stroke her cheek.

"Only for a deserving partner."

She yawned, again laughing. He moved his hand to the back of her head, tilting it forward to rest on his shoulder as they continued to dance, the hall darkening as the bloody Eythereau sun set outside the palace, sending wondrous multicolored light beams to mingle among the dancers. He found himself yawning as well.

The tune changed to a stronger one, and she pulled off his shoulder, falling into a chilly shimmy-sway to the trills of woodwind players. He moved at a slightly slower pace, eventually locking onto her speed and positioning his hands on her arms. His eyes were shining, though she couldn't see them, and his spirit felt it would explode from feelings.

"You do this one well."

"As compared to what?" he asked lightly.

"Most of the buffoons who try to do this."

"Gee, thanks."

"It's a good thing!"

Their conversation ended on that note, the music melting back away to a slow, winding, easy dance. Atemu blushed deeply as they drew closer to one another, his breath hitching in his throat.

"You don't do slow stuff often, do you?"

"Actually, I do. I've just never liked it... until now." _She still doesn't realize it's me..._

"You should. You're tense, but it's natural for you."

"I have a dancing gift."

"I figured. So do I."

"That much is obvious. You're stunning."

"Thanks..."

The music died down a few minutes later, and Atemu found himself exhausted.

"Would you like to quit?"

"Mmph... no... one more, please?"

He complied, and they finished with a second slow, heated dance. When it was finished, he led her down to one of the palace courtyards. Night had completely fallen, and stars decorated a rich indigo sea of heavenly daydreams above the literal Eythereau sea leading off into a seemingly endless ocean.

"It's so beautiful," she stated as they sat on a bench.

"Yes... but it's harder to see when you're masked."

"Am I supposed to be wary of any implication here?"

"... You might be."

His words hung in the air for a second, sharp, stinging, like a solitary bullet striking through silent air. Then he dove forward, flipping up the gray cloth that covered her eyes, as she did the same for his, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

He felt her sigh as their lips met, he running his fingers through her silky hair as his lips ran over hers in much the same manner, for nearly two minutes.

She pulled away, panting slightly, and rested her head on his shoulder. His whole body objected to this. He wanted more, but shortly they would have to report back to the dawning hall for the midnight offering, to complete the ritual.

"Mmph... Can we do this again?"

She giggled. "Maybe... right now."

He smiled in pleasure as they plunged into another kiss. He hadn't let go of her hair, and he massaged her head gently through fistfulls of her short, amber tresses-

_Short?_

He broke apart from her, searching by the poor light of one of Eythereau's moons for her eyes. He met them, and gasped, realizing what he'd done.

She was a water princess, and she was, to him, the most beautiful girl in all of Eythereau.

But she wasn't Shizuka.

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See? I told you it was an AtemuAnzu fic. Three guesses who she is, peoples. 

Thanks, **Ksaturn**, and glad ya like it so far!

I believe that the answer to your question is in the chapter, **QueenofHearts4u**, specifically the last line, lol. I'm glad you like it so much! Review on dude! (if I may semi-quote you)

Not exactly, **BradyBunch4527**. I wanted the reader to get it that Shizuka was rubbing Atemu a bit in the wrong way, not that she was being clingy, necessarily. She loves him in a way he doesn't love her. Dance in Eythereau is a direct reflection of the feelings between the people who dance together, so poor Atemu is in for some trouble. I'm glad you, as well, like it so far!

I actually designed it to be a bit hard to follow, **DreamCatcher16**, sorry if I lost you somewhere in there though. I'm glad you think it's interesting, though!

Peace-ouT.


	3. Lafada

DISCLAIMER. Takahashi-sama and co. I am not. A lowly fanfiction authoress I am. Talk like Yoda I do. Seen Star Wars too many times I have. Own Yuugiou and Star Wars I do not.

Hey, how many here have been to the media center at www . yugioh-dungeons . com (spaces excluded)? It has this AWESOME Shadows of the Night music video, and I... just got obsessed. Heh heh... oh yeah, and Shadows of the Night isn't mine. Bug off, Mister Lawyer.

ALSO, when I mention the color of his eyes in here, PLEASE don't flame for it. His eyes are that color on the covers of a few of the mangas, and since this is an AU ficcy, I thought it would be cool to make them that color.

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Dusk Dancing  
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**Lafada- Steps in 3/4

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"Anzu?"

"Prince Atemu?"

"Oh my gods, I thought you were-"

"You're supposed to be-"

"Someone else."

"Someone else."

The two stared at each other in horrified silence. Suddenly Atemu gasped. "Stay here! We need to figure this out!" He fled the moonlit courtyard and ran out of the palace, throwing up over the rich Eythereau grass.

_WHY does everything make me puke? Why?_

"Are you all right?" Anzu had followed him.

"Yes. It was just... shock... Anzu, that was a huge mistake. I thought you were-"

"Shizuka. And I thought you were Johnny."

"Why Johnny?"

Anzu blushed slightly, pointing to her ears. Engagement earrings hung from the second holes, softly glittering different colors. Shizuka had a pair just like them.

"Gods... how are we going to get around this?" he asked helplessly.

I don't know. I don't know about you, but... I won't be able to just forget that, to pretend it didn't happen..."

"Nor will I," he agreed.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know... I don't know... Do you realize we just broke the gods' engagement law?"

"Oh no..."

"Oh yes."

_DING dong, ding DONG!_

"The ritual bells! That's the one-minute toll! How did we miss the other signals?"

"I don't know, but if we don't get there in time, we'll be in a lot more trouble than we already are! Get your mask on and run, and we can sort this out later!" He pulled his own cloth mask down over his face, taking off towards the dawn dancing hall. Anzu followed, pelting after the prince as fast as her body would allow. But even a star dancer's legs have their limits.

_Eight seconds... around the corner..._

_Five... further down the hall..._

_Four... so tired..._

_Two... at the doors..._

_One..._

Anzu bolted in the doors just as a guard pushed them shut, and Atemu grabbed her hand to pull her in.

"Are you okay?" he asked, cheeks stained a deep wine scarlet.

"Yes," she replied breathlessly. The two hurriedly joined the circle of people, to offer up the day's final prayers to the gods. The hall's many voices echoed on stone walls:

"MAKA GEH TUKAJI!"

Ironic that no one in all the land knew what the tribute meant, but everyone knew of its importance.

An icy gust of wind swept through the hall, and the ritual was over. But Atemu was barely conscious of it. His eyes never moved from watching a certain leggy dancer, her slim form, her smile...

xdXbx

Anzu ascended a few sets of steps to a tower room and pushed open the door. Six beds framed the outside of the room, creating a circle. Desks and dressers floated about in the circle's middle, and a fellow dancer of Anzu's sat at one, running pale hands through dream-blue hair in an irritated manner.

"Hey 'Sara. No one else up here yet?"

The pretty girl turned in her seat to look up at Anzu. "Oh, I expect it'll be a few minutes before any of them get up here."

"Why?" Anzu asked, changing from her masquerade costume to a pair of silky pink pajamas.

"Amane has to work on the dancing balance tonight, Shizuka's probably busy with Atemu-" Anzu blushed deeply at this comment, thanking the gods that Kisara didn't notice. "-and Miho with Hiroto, and Mai's probably flirting rather heavily with Katsuya," she answered her companion, rattling through the list of the other girls in the Eythereau competition dancing troupe.

"How come you're not down there with Seto, eh?"

"It's quite loud down there, and neither of us really like it that much, so..."

"Ah, see."

"And how's Johnny?" Kisara inquired, reaching for a brush and combing out long aquamarine locks that she had frazzled in her frustration over her work.

Anzu's face froze, and her heart skipped a beat. What was she to say? Kisara had great power contained in her soul, power to read someone _else's_ soul. That just wasn't fair.

"Anzu, what happened? Your spirit is jumbled all over the place."

"I... I broke the law... Oh my gods, I broke the law..."

"What?" Kisara crossed to where her friend stood, crying. "Anzu, what's the matter? Here..." She led Anzu over to her bed and sat down on it next to her.

"Kisara, I broke the gods' engagement law, the one about not showing or expressing romantic feelings for an individual other than the one you're engaged to! I was dancing with Atemu, but I thought it was Johnny, and HE thought I was Shizuka, but then... we realized what we did, but... it's too late... that was the best dance I've ever danced... and... I loved it, even more than dancing with Johnny... What am I going to do?" She broke into harder sobs.

Kisara pursed her lips. Anzu was the best dancer in all of Eythereau, and that had been the best dance of her life? That wasn't good, not good at all. Bloody terrible, in fact.

"Shh... calm down... You'll find a way to fix this... you and Atemu. You'll find a way out."

"But... that's the problem. I don't want a way out."

xdXbx

Atemu lay on his bed in the royal boys' room, motionless, just basking, undisturbed, in the wonderful silence-

"Hey Atemu, are you okay?" his little cousin Mokuba's voice asked.

Atemu's cousin Seto's deeper voice stepped in, saying, "Moki, go brush your teeth." The smaller boy pouted, but left.

Atemu heard rustling sounds as his cousins changed into nightclothes, then a door shut as Mokuba went to brush his teeth in the bathroom connected to their room.

"'Temu?"

"Hmm? Seto...?"

"IS everything seriously all right?"

"Yeah... where's Yuugi?"

He heard a mattress moan a bit as Seto sat down on his bed, next to Atemu's.

"Yuugi's still downstairs. And everything doesn't LOOK seriously all right."

"I'm fine."

Seto quirked an eyebrow, unseen by Atemu. "Shizuka said she didn't see you the whole day."

WHY did Seto have to have soul-reading powers? He always knew how to rub a guy the wrong way. Between him and Kisara, the world was shown no mercy.

"That's because she didn't."

"Then who was that you were making out with, if not Shizuka?"

"YOU SAW THAT?"

"No, I just read your mind. Anzu?"

"I _thought_ she was Shizuka, but... she wasn't..."

"But you loved dancing with her more than you've ever liked dancing with Shizuka, right?"

"Seto, please! Don't tell! It was a mistake!"

"I'm not going to."

Atemu sighed in relief.

"But I am going to ask you how you expect to get out of this."

"I... I don't know."

"That won't do you any good. She's your practice partner this month, or did you not read the board on the dusk dancing hall's door?"

"WHAT?"

Seto nodded, more to himself than to the other teen. "Yes. You're going to have to dance with her every day, so you'd better think of some way to keep yourself in check. You've broken the law, you know."

"I know. But it's not my fault-"

"I know it wasn't. That's not the point."

"Always optimistic, aren't we?"

Seto smirked. "If optimism is absolutely required for survival."

"What a nice, helping cousin."

"Aren't I?"

"Hmph."

Seto's mattress moaned again as he got up. "I'm going to go see what's taking Mokuba so long. He has to be up early tomorrow for magic classes."

"You do that."

"We do too, you know."

"I _know._ Will you just let a guy sleep?"

"I'll consider it."

xdXbx

Atemu yawned, walking out from illusionism classes the next morning and heading towards the dusk hall.

_Why does Mana have to be so clumsy? She's a great illusionist and an awesome friend, but she's too damn clumsy for her own good. I don't know HOW Mahaado can put up with being her boyfriend..._

"Yo, 'Temu!" Yuugi's relatively light voice called from down the hall.

"Yuugi? Heading to the dancing?" Atemu asked as Yuugi caught up to him.

"Where else?" he asked playfully, as they entered the dancing hall. Yuugi ran off to greet Jounouchi, leaving Atemu at the door.

"Hey 'Temu!" Ryou greeted the prince, walking up to him.

"Who's your partner this month?"

"I've got Kisara." The boy laughed lightly, confusing Atemu.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, Seto just made it pretty clear that I wasn't to hurt his beloved girlfriend in any way, shape, or form, the usual speech for whoever gets Kisara."

"Oh. Who'sDorobo with?"

"No clue."

Atemu nodded, turning to read the list on the door.

And Johnny's with Miho? That should get an interesting reaction from Hiroto."

"You just missed it, actually. He pretty much gave Johnny a Seto-speech."

Atemu laughed, but was cut off by the palace dance instructor and Eythereau dance troupe leader's voice.

"Come on now! Get with your partners and get in lines! Honestly, how hard is it for you lot to listen?" asked Cyndia. "Do I have to get my husband in here?"

"NO!" Katsuya shouted, voicing the opinions of all the other teens in the room. Pegasus, Cyndia's husband, was in charge of Eythereau's stable of winged horses, strong and ruthless with his handling.

"That won't be necessary," Hiroto added in hastily, grabbing a random young woman and leading her onto the floor.

"Wrong girl, you idiot," she stated dryly, changing places with Hiroto's partner.

"All right, everyone in places and all that? Okay, it's the _lafada_ today." She smiled at the collective groans. The lafada, the Eythereauian equivalent of an earthly waltz, was Cyndia's torture dance.

"Have you no heart?" Ryuuji asked. "I just slow danced all day yesterday!"

"Oh, really? And would you care to tell us whom with, Ryuuji?"

"Uh... some chick dressed in-"

"That's quite enough information; I can see where this is going."

Ryuuji smirked slyly, as if to say, 'You asked.'

Cyndia looked quite amusingly like a ruffled chicken for a minute, before regaining her composure and carrying on with the lesson at hand.

"Ah, well... that's... okay then, let's move on, shall we?"

More collective groans from her competitive dancers and their partners, and the others in the class.

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'" She walked over to an instrumentalist, saying to him, "Go easy. They DID dance all day yesterday, and I want no accidents, if you know what I mean. The competitions are coming up, and you know how they react..."

He nodded, putting his flute-like wind instrument to his lips, starting the dance out with a slow, steady flow to ¾ time.

Atemu gulped, taking one of Anzu's hands in the standard lafada position.

"Relax," she ordered him, "You'll make yourself sick."

"I already feel sick."

"Honestly?"

He nodded, his stomach doing flips, and closed his eyes in nausea. Anzu drew closer and snaked an arm naturally around his waist, rubbing his back soothingly.

"Slow down, calm down, and believe that you can control your stomach."

He did so. "You're lucky you're so easy to trust."

"Why, thank you."

He chuckled. "Or maybe it's just your stunning looks."

"That prize would have to go to you, _Prince_." She looked slightly upwards into his face, catching his bright green eyes and dragging them down, drowning his gaze in her wondrous cerulean wishing pools as they twirled a bit too sharply. Her breath caught in her throat as he steadied her from falling with a strong touch on her lower back.

"Oh, I think not."

Anzu couldn't help but giggle softly as he led her into a pretty spin. "Are you trying to flatter me?" she asked as he gently pulled her back towards him.

"Is it working?"

"Maybe."

"It had better be."

"Why?"

"I don't compliment people unless I mean it."

"Gods, that's true."

He smiled. "So? Is it still 'maybe' working?"

"That would depend, wouldn't it?"

"Depend? Depend on what?"

She gasped as he moved his face closer to hers, feeling his warm breath on her cheeks. His eyes ate her alive, a large, monstrous, imposing green.

"A-Atemu..."

She couldn't. He couldn't. They couldn't. It was _against the law._

But they could.

She closed her eyes as he drew closer still, their lips a fraction of a centimeter apart, and blushed deeply, feeling him bite down a bit on her lower lip. The dance totally forgotten, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Kissing him was better than she had remembered it being. His arms were strong around her waist, his lips warm yet polite, and the very way he moved was gentle and soft, yet possessed her at the same time, causing her to cling desperately to him until there wasn't a bit of air left in her lungs.

It was then that she drew back, opened her eyes, and came out of her heavenly daze. It was then that she realized what they had done.

With the entire hall watching.

* * *

So's? Likies? Yes? No? Maybe so? 

nods- She did see them, **Little Atemu**. For the sake of drama, and all that schtuff. OMG, thank you so much! The author of one of the best AnzuAtemu fics ever called me an awesome writer... -bows to great authoress extraordinaire- Mes is not worthy.

Lol, **QueenofHearts4u**. Send her packing, the heck with it! LOL! Don't get me wrong; I love Shizuka. I just love Anzu better! So... we ditch Shizuka, and on with Anzu! Glad you like it! Review on, dudette!

Wow, **MahXien**... I guess I'd better continue, ne? Or... my email won't be doing very well... and OMG, thanks so much for reviewing! I read and reviewed Caught Metal Handed a while ago, before I got my account on here, and since then I've been trying like crazy to find it again! I HAVE FOUND IT! Ahem...

Offend me, **Bradybunch4529**? Of course not! I was actually glad that you picked up so much of how Shizuka was pushing Atemu like that! You made me happy! And I'm not easily offended, either. -shakes head- Wow... I'm so glad you liked it that much... I feel loved... thank you. -huggles- (If you don't mind being huggled by an insane fanfic authoress, of course... if you do... I'll take the huggling back.)

DINGDINGDINGDING! You're right, **Ksaturn**, lol. Anzu it is! Thanks!

Until next update, then!


	4. Hamana part one

**Disclaimer**: Takahashi-sama I am not. A lowly fanfiction authoress I am. Talk like Yoda I do. Seen Star Wars too many times I have. Own Yuugiou and Star Wars I do not.

* * *

**Dusk Dancing**

**Hamana- Steps of True Soul, Part One

* * *

**King Akhenemkhanen slammed a hard fist on his desk, in front of which Atemu was standing.

"Exactly WHAT the BLOODY HELL was THAT?"

The teen looked down, fighting to contain all the thrashing emotion within him as his stomach churned.

"WELL?"

"I... I..."

"YOU WHAT? You just BROKE THE LAW, my son, and you have NOTHING to say for yourself?"

"No."

"NO? Then why don't I fill you in, eh? You KISSED an ENGAGED female, engaged yourself! The Prince and High Honored Dancer of Eythereau, each engaged, kissing! Do you have any idea the trouble this is going to give me? The two of you are the most respected teenagers in Eythereau, our FUTURE, and you just went and-"

"I know, Father."

A look of disgust crossed the king's face at his son's words. "You DARE interrupt me after THAT?"

"Look, I know what I did!"

"Then what's your excuse?"

"I..." He looked down, voice drifting off, and swiped at the corners of his stinging eyes.

"WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?"

Atemu felt raw emotion rise up within him, flaring heat and rage. His hands balled into fists and his breathing became jagged as he fought to control the seemingly never-ending mountain of feelings growing within him.

"I don't have one."

"Then that was for nothing? You just decided to get a kiss from a nice girl?"

"NO."

"What, then?"

"You always said excuses were for the weak, who didn't have a better route out of things. I. Don't. _Have_. One."

"Don't get fresh with me! You're in no position to, after what you just did, getting both yourself and Anzu in trouble-"

"DON'T YOU **DARE** LAY A FINGER ON ANZU! IT WASN'T HER FAULT! IF YOU EVEN TRY TO DO ANYTHING TO HER, I **SWEAR**, I WILL-"

"Atemu, control yourself!" the king cut his seething son off.

"..." Atemu didn't respond to his elder, just turned his back, panting.

_Gods, don't mess this up, don't mess this up! Anzu... she has to get out of this!_

Akhenemkhanen waited for the boy to turn back around to face him before speaking again. Much to the prince's surprise, his tone was soft.

"Anzu is not going to be touched."

"Sh-she's n-not-t?" Atemu cursed his voice for breaking up in pace with his threatening tears, looking up to his father.

"She will be spared any and all punishment, if you tell me _why_ you did that." He suddenly looked tired, helpless. "_Why, _Atemu?"

_What am I supposed to tell him? I don't **know** why!_

"I don't know... honestly, I don't know."

"Why not?" The man looked like he was contemplating whether to hug or strangle the teen, or somewhere in between. His face was contorted, his breath steady yet strained, having the effect that he wasn't human, but embodied human spirit, nearly. It was odd to an onlooker's eyes, yet seemed natural. Yet unnatural.

"I DON'T KNOW, ALL RIGHT? One second we were dancing, the next we were kissing... I don't know what happened."

The king stood up. "There's more to this that you're not telling me."

Atemu gulped, wringing his left hand with his right.

"Tell me, or I _will_ punish Anzu."

"We... we kissed at the masquerade offering."

"YOU WHAT?"

"We... we did just what I said, Father. I thought she was Shizuka and she thought I was Johnny, and we..."

"Yet you went and kissed again?"

"I... yes."

"When you knew it was against the law."

The teen's fists again clenched tight. "I couldn't stop it. I didn't know it was going to happen."

"You're possibly the most intelligent person in all of Eythereau, and you couldn't keep from kissing an engaged female, is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS USE MY INTELLIGENCE GIFT AGAINST ME LIKE THIS? I COULDN'T CONTROL IT! IF I COULD HAVE, I WOULD HAVE!"

"You absolutely, in no way whatsoever, could have helped yourself from doing that?"

"Weren't you this age once? Don't you know that sometimes things are just out of your control...? That's what you told me, a few years ago, when my emotions really started to make me physically sick a lot. You said that we can't help everything, and that some things just happen, and we have to accept things and move on, and forgive one another for our mistakes. You said I was going to make mistakes; everyone does. You said that as long as my whole heart and being was sorry, and that as long as I tried as hard as I could to fix things, both you and the gods would forgive me. I don't think this should be any different."

The king surveyed his son's face, not speaking.

"You know what, just lock me away in the dungeons. Just damn lock me up and get it over with."

"I'm not going to."

"You're... what?"

"I just tested you, you know, and you passed brilliantly."

"What? How?"

"This test is applied to all who break the law. The tester calls attention to all the tested's weaknesses, all their faults, everything they've done wrong, and your test is to get past it. We toy with your emotions, and you have to stay calm and think clearly. It's a way of proving yourself worthy of not being punished. The gods themselves created this method of testing people's souls."

Atemu stared at his father, stunned. "So... Anzu and I... we're cleared?"

The king's brow furrowed. "Not entirely."

"Why not?" The prince's voice rose in his anxiety. "I passed your test, didn't I?"

"Yes, but I have also learned that I need to put you though another."

"That's not fair!"

"It is. Listen." He held his hand forward, palm up, a small orb of energy forming within it. Atemu recognized his own voice coming from it.

'DON'T YOU **DARE** LAY A FINGER ON ANZU! IT WASN'T HER FAULT! IF YOU EVEN TRY TO DO ANYTHING TO HER, I **SWEAR**, I WILL-'

Akhenemkhanen snapped his hand shut, the magic disappearing.

"What was that about?"

"I think it's easy to see, really. Your reaction made your feelings towards Anzu all too obvious to me."

"And...?"

"You and Anzu... your challenge is to not show or express any romantic feelings whatsoever towards each other for a month, and your future husband and wife are to make sure of it."

"You mean... I won't get to see her for a whole month?"

The king looked sad, but reluctantly brought himself to say what he had to.

"No. Believe me, I wish it was that easy. You're to spend every second of every day with each other, dance with each other at every dance, sit next to one another in every class. This time it's not your soul that's being tested, Atemu," he continued as his son's face paled, "It's your control. And if you lack it, you will be punished by the gods. Tomorrow's dance is the hamana, the extractor of the soul. If you lose control over yourself during that dance, the gods will show you no mercy."

* * *

Aren't they, **TheOldOne**? 

Thanks, **ANZUXATEM4EVER**!

Thankies also, **Electric Fire**. You know what's weird? I have never in my entire life had a twinkie. Are they easy to get high off? Yesh, poor Mokuba. But hey, at least he doesn't make an UGLY girl!

And mucho thankies to you, **Bradybunch4529**. -huggles- Ahem. Sorry, couldn't resist. I huggles lots. And wow, your review made me feel good! Though, I don't think this chapter was as good as the other ones. -sigh- But what can ya do, eh? ;) (Er... that smiley is a winking person, by the way... it's sideways... and the suqiggly thingy is the nose... right then.)

Yes, **HealingOpal**, of course there was a 'loop hole.' This is sappy me we're talkin' about, here. There had to be! But they're gonna have it hard, I can tell you that. Shizuka? I don't really KNOW what I'm going to do with her yet, actually. Go me, eh? But she's a good girl; she didn't kiss anyone at the masquerade. We'll have to do something nice for her, though... maybe she can have Johnny, since I'm ditching him as well... My organization just rocks, doesn't it? (Major sarcasm there, in case you somehow missed it.)

Yuppers, **Attic Flower**! Everyone. Aren't I so NICE to them? Thanks!

Dear Ra yes, **The flickering flame**. LOL!

So there ya go, see ya'll next update! Peace-ouT!


	5. Hamana part two

**Disclaimer**: Takahashi-sama I am not. A lowly fanfiction authoress I am. Talk like Yoda I do. Seen Star Wars too many times I have. Own Yuugiou and Star Wars I do not.

**

* * *

Dusk Dancing  
**

**Hamana- Steps of True Soul, Part Two

* * *

**

A slender scarlet figure, draconic in shape yet human in mind, slithered through icy air, coming to land on a glass-like dome next to her companion.

"Obelisssk."

"Hn?" The blue god turned to face the dragon, shivering as her breath landed on his shoulder.

"Don't BREATHE like that, 'Siris!"

The other god paid her friend no heed, sliding past him to look down through the dome to the earth below.

"Ah... yesss... they have ssstarted the dancccing..."

"WHY are you two so intent on punishing those two?" came the scratchy voice of Ra.

"Why not?" Exodia asked, following Ra over to the dome.

"What do you three know about punishment?" the yellow dragon inquired, eying the many dancing pairs below as a certain one became most tuned-in to the gods' collective vision.

"Are you saying YOU know more?"

Ra sighed. "I am the wisdom of all of Eythereau, and quite frankly, I forget why we invented that no-spouse-changing rule."

"To ressstore order to Eythereau," Osiris rattled boredly, picking at one of her scales. "Flaking off..."

"But still. They're so young..."

"That means they need the discipline even more," a deep voice stated, Zork's threatening form rising from thin air, Horakhti's after his.

Said god of dawn dancing nodded at her yami's statement. "That prince will someday be king. He needs to learn control now, not later."

"Control?" Exodia put in.

Obelisk inclined his head towards the prince and his partner, in the dancing hall below.

"Watch him fighting," he instructed Exodia. The strength god did as he was told, observing the fine sweat on the princes forehead and the strained look in his eyes.

Horakhti turned to Osiris, eying the other goddess suspiciously. "'Siris, you wouldn't have anything to do with this, would you?"

"For onccce, I can't sssay it wasss me."

Horakhti snorted in disbelief, turning back to watching the couple. The prince's breath came in pants as he closed his eyes briefly, trying desperately to slow the process of his air intake. His legs were cardboard beneath him, it taking his entire will not to get lost in the soul-twisting hamana.

"OSIRIS, STOP!"

The red dragon pouted, revealing one hand, in which was clutched a ball of controlling magic.

"Ruin my fun."

"It's not _fun_, 'Siris. It isn't testing him if you're controlling his emotions."

"Only to a cccertain exxxtent," she defended herself, waving her short arm dismissively.

"That 'certain extent' could make all the difference," Ra reminded her, Zork nodding his agreement.

"He's on the brink without your helping his troubles along."

"Then why don't I jussst give him a little pusssh, and have it over with?"

"Aren't we forgetting the dancer, as well?"

"Yes, but it's truly the prince we're focusing on. She'll surely be able to manage, having experienced so much dancing."

"Ra, what do you think?"

"We'll see. Good things come to those who wait."

"Oh, no fun. No fun at all. Can't I jussst... ssslip into hisss mind... jussst for a peek..."

Exodia and Obelisk exchanged glances, knowing that Osiris would just nag until she got what she wanted, and Ra answered, "Fine. But you are NOT to toy with his feelings _in any way_."

"Hmph. Fine." The female dragon was gone from the gods' dome with a crack of her tail, bulleting towards the dusk dancing hall and into the teen's head, sharing his being with him.

_Now... let's see what the princie thinks of all this..._

She relaxed into his mind, his senses seeping through her body.

Osiris suddenly felt horribly uncomfortable, getting the urge to wriggle free from the grasp of his emotions. Her hands felt pressured to move forward, yet ordered to stay back, her legs like jelly, as her stomach lurched about painfully. Something rose in her chest, an order from a foreign part of her, as thoughts flew about through her head too fast to register in her brain. The couple got closer...

_No! I can't! Argh!_

It took every ounce of logic the prince had not to draw any closer to his partner, not to press their bodies together and kiss her, not to lose complete control. His breathing grew heavier still.

_Stomach... hurts..._

He screamed inwardly as his bottled-up emotion was sent straight to his stomach, causing him to nearly double over in pain.

"Does it hurt?" the female of the two asked, finding his gaze.

"Anzu... I'm not going to be able... to hold it... back... gah..."

"What's wrong?"

"M-my stomach... you know how how I feel can make me sick..."

"Just your stomach?" It looked like much more, and was, as Osiris had the misfortune to know.

"No... all over..." Osiris shivered as his heart pounded in his chest, affecting her as well. She wriggled about uncomfortably, finding herself cursing physical existence. Not able to take it anymore, she fled his body, crashing back to her godly companions through their dome. Exodia ducked out of her way as her body sprawled about from her not-so-smooth landing.

"Well? How is the test going?" Horakhti asked, gazing upon her fellow with a critical eye.

"Geez, he'sss about to CRACK!"

Ra helped her up. "What do you mean?"

"I MEAN, it feelsss like it'sss BURNING inssside hisss body!"

Horakhti and Zork watched her dust herself off, each silent.

"What?"

Zork answered her, "Is his reaction really that intense?"

"Yesss! What, do I look particularly_ comfortable_ right now?"

A rare blush rose on Ra's cheeks, though the other gods didn't notice it. "You didn't toy at all, did you?"

"I wasss too busssy getting _out,_ thank you very much!"

Obelisk's brow knitted. "I'd hate to have to punish that boy."

"Are you going sssoft, Obbey?"

"Don't call me Obbey."

"Hmph. You all call me 'Sssirisss, and I don't get all huffy-grumpy on you!"

"That's because you _invented_ that nickname, saying you were sick of being called 'Osiris.'"

The red dragon stuck out both her tongues.

"Ra, do you think he'll be able to stay in control for the rest of tonight, even?" Zork asked.

"Oh, yes."

The god's answer surprised the group, strong and confident, without a hint of doubt.

"What? You do?"

"Definitely. That prince has more ability than even _we_ know, I believe."

"What of this, though? He's talented, yes, but..."

"We'll see."

"... Ra?"

"Yes?"

"Is there something you're not telling us?"

"You know it's impossible for us to hide anything from each other. Don't be silly."

Zork looked a bit uneasy, but just shrugged his black shoulders and fixed his glance back on the dancing floor.

Below the gods, Atemu was having a harder time yet controlling himself, it becoming steadily harder for him to breathe.

"Atemu?"

"Hm?"

"Are you all right?"

"Anzu... it hurts..."

"Shh. Calm down."

"I c-c-can't. It won't let me."

"What won't?" Her eyes seemed to have grown larger, rounder, and her expression was soft and worried.

"My body... it isn't listening to me. That spell my father put over us... agh..."

"Atemu, what... what... um-"

"What should you know that you don't?"

"Uh... something along those lines."

"Anzu, my father gave us this particular punishment not only to keep us from temptation to leave our future partners, but because he knows just how deeply I feel for you, and it's meant to be a harder punishment for me. Gods, I'm so sorry, Anzu."

"It's okay. It's not your fault. This is sick. They shouldn't make us do this."

He gulped. His face felt like it had been held close to a roaring bonfire, and he was sweating despite the hall's pleasantly cool temperature. Not his idea of fun.

_How am I going to be able to keep this up for a month?_

Simple. He wasn't.

* * *

The plot, **Mah-Xien**? History? Nope, just little old me. Yes, Daddy-o (Akhenamkhanen is a mouthful, isn't it? I wonder what his parents were thinking when they named the poor dude.) was a bit on the harsh side there, wasn't he? My disclaimer? It's my pathetic stab at humor, so yeah. I'm definitely continuing, so no worries there. 

Very much so, **The flickering flame**.

Yes, **Attic Flower**, it is REALLY gonna get their knickers in a twist, as you say. Atemu's gonna crack soon, and then the real plot unfolds. -echoes Attic Flower in maniacal laughter-

I think you misunderstood, **ANZUXATEM4EVER**. He has to spend the next month with Anzu, Anzu, and more Anzu. He will be SICK of her... or not. Only time will tell. Anzu was in a separate room, being given basically the same lecture by the queen, minus the second punishment part, but she wasn't really important in that one, so yeah...

I'm flattered, **Bradybunch4529**. I'm SO glad the tension on Atemu's part got through in there. I was worried it either wouldn't come through or that it would be too big, so I'm glad you liked it. Yes, seeing how well (or... not well) they do should be... interesting... -thunder and lightning as evil authoress/torturer takes characters to her torturing ground of DOOM-

sigh- I explained, **QueenofHearts4u**, why they were green. I like them better crimson too, but... they're cool green, methinks. Throw Shizuka in the ocean? That would be MEAN! I torture first, THEN kill them off! Worse than Survivor (I don't own Survivor.)? Uh... I don't know whether that's an insult or a compliment... I hate reality TV. But INYHOO. Yup, they're going to be with each other for a whole month. Will the gods be their fans? Hmm... read this one over closely for a few hints of things to come.

Lol, **Electric Fire**. "That guy—he would make a pretty girl." And the girl wonders why she gets weird looks... XP Yesh, they are in deep trouble, DEEP trouble, my friend. Maybe they should try using the force. Sodas, yes, they have that crazy effect on me, too! SUUGGGAAAARRRRR!

Thanks, **DemonAlphaWolfKidNE**, though if you were hoping for a kiss-free fic, your hopes have been shattered. But I'm glad you liked the first chapter, at least!

Thanks, **Ksaturn**. I hope so too.

Wow, thanks **Linii-chan**! I'm glad you like it, despite the pairing. I see that as a compliment, for someone to like something even though they normally wouldn't.

See ya next chappie! Peace-ouT.


	6. Eaeaxa

DISCLAIMER.  
It ain't mine. Go away now, and let me go cry in my corner.

AUTHOR'S NOTES.  
I'm back! After... far too long, I'm back! OH MY GOD, I HAVE UPDATED!

Eaeaxa... It's pronounced yah-YAH-zah... All of the a's in the dance names are pronounced 'ah'... All these weird dance names and their -cough- being so much like each other will be revealed eventually... -evil grin-

The other chapters of this have been edited A LOT. I strongly suggest rereading, because I'm just making SO MANY changes. All the characters created just for the anime—POOF, there they go! And Rebecca, my gosh, she deserved the axe WAY before now... -ahem- On with the -coughs, voice gets quite small- four-month-late fic... No flames, PLEASE... please...

**

* * *

Dusk Dancing**

**Eaeaxa **- **Steps on Ice

* * *

**

Atemu stepped cautiously onto the frozen Greathen o Hanara—Eythereauian for the amazing Winter Pond that stayed frozen even through summers in the warm climate of Eythereau. Its ice glowed many different colors from within its unfrozen center, a center no one had ever reached. No one knew what lay a mere ten feet beneath them. He reached a hand out to guide Anzu on after him, heart pounding. Screw this up, and it was all over. The gods were going to come down on them with all they had. Ironic, though, that no one even knew what that was. Human has always feared the unknown more than anything.

"Calm down," she commanded, easing herself into a graceful spread-armed twist to calm _herself_. She needed to dance. Dance, and everything would be fine.

"You think I'm not trying?" he snapped, voice raising with the tension between the two.

"I think you're not doing a very good job of it," she replied, voice matching the temperature of the ice below them.

He grabbed at both her hands, tugging her to him. "Anzu, I can't do this. We're going to start, and I'm going to be so close to you, and I'm going to fall apart."

"No, you're not." Her figure was perfectly erect and determined, though her eyes betrayed her. "We'll be fine, both of us."

"This isn't fair."

"Oh, Atemu..." She leaned into him, hands gripping his tightly. "I... I love Johnny, but... I don't... I don't want..."

"I know. But Anzu, it's been three weeks. Just one more, and we're free. One more. We can do this."

_'Can't we?'_

"Come on, people, hustle your budge! Geez, you'd think Eythereau's best-trained competition dancers and students would be able to get their bearings on some cold water! Warm up time, five minutes!"

Atemu turned to the brunette. "What now?"

"We dance."

So they did.

Atemu, fighting for control of his body, flicked her into a tight spiraling curl around himself. She grasped his shoulders, and he dipped his body low to the ground, slinking forward on the ice. She felt a huge rush in her chest as she did the same, stomach flat against his back. More rush, and suddenly, they seemed to be moving in slow motion. More... needed more... _faster...! FASTER!_

"You need more speed."

He nodded silently, gaining some. "Better?" he called over his shoulder.

"Much."

"Let's go for something more exciting."

"Wha- AH!"

Without any warning, she felt herself thrown from her pacific position on his back, her feet performing intricate lacework they had never before known in an effort to simply stay up. Her lungs tightened as she felt herself losing control, and she tripped, careening face-first for the ice.

Then, stealthy and silent as a skilled assassin, he slipped beneath her to catch her up in his arms and bring her up into an easy glide. He grinned.

"Adrenaline pumping yet?" He knew his had been since the moment they got on the ice.

"You, _Prince_ Atemu, have a twisted view of excitement."

"I pride myself on it." He smirked at her dazed expression. "Like it?"

"Well, I have to say..."

She found it draining merely to speak, looking up into his face and finding herself utterly lost and breathless...

"What... what do you have to say?"

He was experiencing much the same suffocating sensation. Dusk Dancing... They were coming dangerously close. He tried clearing his throat of cracks before speaking, failing tragically.

"Anzu..."

Nothing was in his control anymore. Their hands were linked, their feet skipping across each other's to what they never realized was the perfectly in sync beating of their racing hearts. The movement of their legs sped up with each passing second, as they leaned slowly closer to one another, time and the rest of the world nonexistent.

She could feel his panting on her cheek, taste the need in his skipping breath, sense what was about to happen in the dangerously extremely near future.

And she could do absolutely nothing about it. She couldn't stand it any longer. So what if they were hell-damned, or banished for all eternity? Surely this was worth it... completely worth it... worth it...

She lost all consciousness, leaning into his kiss with a relieved sigh and throwing her arms around his neck as he sifted his fingers through her silken hair. He held her tightly around the waist, hugging her so close she was literally swept off her feet and into his arms, still skating blindly forward. Only his feet knew where to go; his mind wasn't present.

"Atemu..."

"Anzu..."

"ATEMU, ANZU!"

But Cynthia's enraged scream—and the dagger-stares of their fiancés—were cut off from the senses of the two lovers.

All of the dancers' faces reflected the same complete shock and terror as the ground beneath them erupted in a blast of radiant color with a bone-breaking roar, and Atemu suddenly found himself unable to breathe—drowning ever deeper in the long-feared depths of Greathen o Hanara.

* * *

That one... was not as good as the previous ones. But at the very least, I updated... feh. Mucho gomen nasai for the shortness. Sessha ish very sorry. 

I'll only be responding for chapter five reviews, because if I went through and looked for new reviews for chapters before that, it would take me longer than the half-hour computer time I have left.

Big thank-you to **_ImCrazyAndProudOfIt_**, **_A. Valentine_**, **_SeaBreeze-YamiAnzu_**, **_Silver Dragon_**, **_Attic Flower_**, and **_Jessica Morgan_**.

Thank you, **_Micahtommyboy_**, but please don't be offended that I'm not reading yours. I'm quite adamant concerning my dislike of Mary-Sue fics; I much prefer ones that stick to the original characters from series, though not necessarily canon couplings (I love Shizuru x Kurama. Tell me if that isn't weird). -points to author note at top- I am even starting to passionately hate characters just created for animes. Eh... fangirls, huh?

I'm afraid I didn't exactly do it "ASAP," **_dreamcloud516_**, but at least I didn't ABANDON it. And now the updates will be many and frequent. He has stomach problems for two reasons, the first being that I love sick-fic-form Atemu, but it wouldn't fit his character for this one to really have him fully sick. So I gave him a bit of a testy immune system. The second reason, the reasoning behind the first reason... yet to be revealed. Muahaha.

glomps **_Jess-chan of the Nya Nya Neko_**- ICE CREAM! THANK YOU! (for both the review and the ice cream) Wow... you really flatter me. Too much. Yipes. That makes me feel so guilty for not updating earlier... but now, as I've said, updates a plenty to come.

"Temu: Dear God woman... I think you need the control... not me." That had me cracking up SO BAD, _**Ninqe**!_ For anyone that's reading this that doesn't know Ninqe, she is the HUMOR QUEEN OF REVIEWS. Your reviews always make me smile, what with the length and how you can get way deep and be funny at the same time! Arigatou! And arigatou again for waiting SO LONG for this update.

Ah yes, **_Mah-Xien_**, the epic mystery of Daddy-o's parents' naming skills... or lack thereof. It has now been reduced to the five-syllable "Akhenemkhanen," because Shounen Jump really had a much better pronunciation of it than the site I found his name on. -nod nod-

It IS cruel, **_HealingOpal_**, I know. It's the whole torture thing... -twitch- It's just so -twitch- addicting! The gods... they work in funny ways, that they do. We must wait and see how they twistedly decide to resolve this dilemma, that we must.

Yeshyesh, **_Little Atemu_**. A rather... harsh... test. Ironic that I haven't decided between my two ideas for that yet. -sweatdrop- I humbly apologize for the horrible delay in updating.

Ten fingers and two thumbs, **_QueenofHearts4u_**? That's twelve digits, that it is. Yes, Osiris is rather sick-minded. But what can we say, it must be pretty boring watching us humans all day (I would imagine).

Lock himself up, **_Electric Fire_**-kun? But then there would be no fic! LOL. It's like... Alex getting sick the day of our play, so there's no Lawrence, so there's no case against earthlings, so the aliens never come to try to blow it up, so the cast gets cut in half, and the audience spends their time sleeping! Boring, methinks. You've caught me; I "just like making him sick." So true, so true... I just can't resist him in that oh-so-cute and oh-so-dependent mode... XD

I didn't think of Osiris as a girl at first either, **_TheOldOne_**. But all the gods, with the exception of Horakhti, were going to be male, and that just seemed... blah. So enter "'Siris," the hyper, mischievous, sly, slightly sick-minded sky dragon! Will they survive? Hmm... good question, that is. XP

singing along to anime music video of I Want it That Way, the only song by that group I like-

"tell me why-  
Ain't nuthin' but a heartache  
tell me why-  
Ain't nuthin' but a mistake  
tell me why-  
I never wanna hear you say  
I want it that way"

Well, I took fifty minutes on just these review replies. Yipers. But my dad let me finish them, so it's all good, all good. Until next time, dudes! Peace-ouT.


	7. Conversations

DISCLAIMER.  
I do not own Yuugiou. I wish I did, the guy is hot. 

AUTHOR'S NOTES (AND QUESTION).  
Dorobo was Thief Bakura's given name.

The chapters from now on will all be rather short in length, it looks like. My apologies.

I've just found out that Sarala, the name I've given to 'heated' facayas (chapter one), is actually a real name. A girls' name, specifically. Indian. How cool is that?

Does Yuugi's mom even HAVE a canon name?

* * *

**Dusk Dancing**

**Conversations**

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Amane the Binder was quite adept in the practice of swearing, as was demonstrated in her reaction to the goddess Osiris suddenly appearing before her and tearing up a great portion of the ice on which she was dancing. 

In accordance with popular belief, Kisara the Soul Delver was not, as was demonstrated when two of her closest friends began to drown.

"What the damned hell is going on?"

"Atemu! ANZU!"

"Hsss... Your little friendsss aren't coming back, girl," came a voice from above her. She whirled. She screamed. She nearly fainted.

"What've you done?" came another voice, that of Amane. Furious.

Osiris only smiled and hissed, her long, wicked breath seeming to suck at everything holding the world up.

She was gone. The ice resumed its previous shape.

The bodies of Atemu and Anzu could be seen, quite clearly, through it. Expressionless, lifeless.

Pandemonium broke out.

xdXbx

Akhenemkhanen slammed his fist down on his desk, a motion he had long ago perfected.

"They--WHAT?"

Pegasus sighed. Conversations with his king were never easy. Especially not conversations involving the death of his son.

"They are dead."

"No," the king whispered. "Impossible."

Pegasus left without a word.

xdXbx

"Hurry, you three," Cyndia had ordered her three white-haired pupils. "Contact Isis, Kalim, Shaadi--all our Elites. Then come back here. NOW."

Amane had run like hell. Ryou had seemingly flown. Dorobo had disappeared.

"The rest of you, up to your rooms in the palace. Seto and Kisara, stay here."

They WOULD get those youths back. She would make sure of it. After all, they were her best couple dancers.

xdXbx

Isis and Shaadi, lovers and Eythereau Elites, looked up from their shared magic work in bewilderment as Ryou of Dawn Dancing bounded into the chamber of the male Elites to find them both sitting calmly on Shaadi's bed.

"Isis! Shaadi! It's Atemu and Anzu! Come quick!"

That was enough for them. They ran after him, important documents fluttering about behind them before settling on the floor.

xdXbx

Mere minutes later saw the arrival of Akhenaden at the Greathen o Hanara. They were completed, the small circle of Eythereau's most skilled and powerful magic workers. Isis and Shaadi, Kalim, Mahaado and Mana, Akhenaden, Seto and Kisara, Amane, Ryou and Dorobo. Taking any lightly in serious battle was roughly as safe as jumping into an endless ocean from a thousand feet above.

Silence beat them all down, until Seto and Kisara suddenly spoke in unison,

"There's more to this than two dead bodies."

And indeed there was.

xdXbx

Osiris returned from Eythereau to her godly companions for the second time in a month, a guffaw pulsing from her double mouths.

"The idiotsss actually think the kidsss are dead."

Ra sighed. "Give them time."

"I wouldn't be calling them idiots if I was you. They're each a fair bit more intelligent than you."

"Do you ssseek to challenge my intelligenccce, Horakhti?" the red dragon-god asked, rounding on her companion.

"I don't know that there's much to challenge..."

"Stop fighting. They're here."

Five heads turned at Exodia's words as the souls of a certain pair of dancers appeared before them.

Cowering, terrified.

Flaming, livid.

xdXbx

Isis nodded grimly at the pair's statement. "There is much turbulence in the potential future of their souls. Exactly what, I cannot tell."

Amane grinned slightly. "In normal-person words, they at least HAVE futures."

"Potential, Amane."

Mana looked up into her boyfriend's face, as if for confirmation her comrades were not lying. Mahaado jerked his head forward slightly, numbed by all that had happened in the last few minutes.

"But what to DO about it?" was Akhenaden's question.

"If their souls are indeed still alive, our best bet is Seto and Kisara. They sensed it even before Isis."

There were nods all around as Seto laid a protective arm around his dearest's waist.

"But how do we get to where they are? Do we even know where they are?" the blue-haired beauty asked.

"They are with the gods."

xdXbx

The queen of Eythereau knocked on the door to her husband's study, entering upon his bidding. He sighed at the sight of her shock of red hair. It kept him sane for the moment, concentrating only on his wife. It was she who spoke first.

"Have you received word from the Elites yet?"

"No. Nor have I expected it."

"Oh."

Neither uttered a word for a period that seemed much longer than it was.

"The throne cannot be passed to Yuugi. He was not born with a leader's soul." The king's words.

"I know." The queen's words.

"But what can be done? If Yuugi was not to take it, our kingdom would be in Seto's hands. Seto is a strong ruler, however detached. But Seto COULD not take it unless Yuugi was to die."

A sharp note in her voice. "Are you suggesting we have our own son murdered?"

Was he? He knew not. Perhaps he was.

xdXbx

SINGS: "Boku to odotte kurenai ka?" (Won't you dance with me?)

That's a line from Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku, for all those sinners not familiar with such an awesome song. :D

**x**Huge thanks to _**HieiJaganshi11**_, _**Dreamstress Itako**_ (cool name), _**peachi goddess**_, _**yugiohfan2005**_, the former six _**Garnevoir-Mages**_ and the present _**Eternal Phoenix**_ and _**Moonlight Mage**_, **_Jessica Morgan_**, _**Aliccia**_, _**Kerrie-chan**_, _**Jess-chan of the Nya Nya Neko**_ (virtual pom-poms!), and _**A. Valentine**_!  
**x_sweetmidnight_** - The Greathen o Hanara is the lake. I have no clue what's under it. I have no clue where Eythereau is, either. It's a random planet of my imagination; it can be wherever you like.  
**x_ImCrazyAndProudOfIt_** - Whoa there... you may want to lay off the sugar a bit. ;-) The gods react in their own different ways, all varying in twistedness. Both Atemu and Anzu are safe for the time being. Will I stop with the cliffies? Probably not. I dunno. Thanks for your... energetic... review!  
**x_Ninqe a.k.a. Humor Queen of Reviews_** - I've got Rebecca's execution on tape, if you're still interested in seeing it. I couldn't dance on ice either. Much better on ice skates, that I am. Indeed, they kissed. And... you're excited about it... because they'll be punished. Twisted, that is. Me like. I'm glad you like the tweaked version. Those social studies sessions sound brutal. I wish you the best of luck, though by now summer's coming to a close. Thanks for the awesome and awesomely long review!  
**x_Little Atemu_** - Indeed, Backstreet Boys. Their stuff just isn't to my taste, for some reason I have yet to discover. But to each his/her own, ne? Arigatou for forgiving my slowness at updating.  
**x_dreamcloud516_** - How did the dance recital go? Of course him and Anzu will be okay. They're the best couple in their fandom, how could they not be? Thanks for the review!

Wow. Sixteen reviews since last chapter. I was absolutely stunned. Thanks so much! See you next chapter, _Seto and Kisara_!

Peace-ouT  
-Lilacs


	8. Seto and Kisara

DISCLAIMER.  
Ain't mine, never was. Me no own. Does not belong to me. All that crap.

AUTHOR'S NOTES.  
Well it seems that quite a few of you have followed the example of **_ImCrazyAndProudOfIt_**, and may need to lay off of the sugar. I applaud you, **_ImCrazyAndProudOfIt_**. And congrats **_Ninqe_**; I believe your last one was the longest review I have ever received. :clap clap:

Okay people, since review replies have been banned from being inside the stories, which I find to be unfounded and unnecessary, but whatever, here's what we'll do. For now on, if you'd like me to reply to your reviews, say so somewhere in the review, and I'll use that nifty reply thing that is now in incoming reviews. Okay? Okay.

**

* * *

Dusk Dancing**

**Seto and Kisara

* * *

**

Seto and Kisara were masters. For you, dear reader, to finish this chapter, this must be understood. If this is not understood, you will not fare well by way of understanding the utter importance of what passes between them within these next few passages. Seto and Kisara were masters.

As master and mistress of their craft, they had journeyed for an unknown measure of time through the great icy cascades of the Greathen o Hanara's water. It had led them down to the lake's black bottom.

Kisara was exhausted. They finally touched bottom in their temperature-, pressure-, and water-resistant spell-bubble. She sighed and crumpled, in desperate need of rest. Seto tugged at her hand insistently. "We must continue." As he saw that she looked about to fall asleep, he sighed himself, and proceeded to lift and carry her. He wandered in search for hours. In search of clues, in search of light, in search of answers.

A long while later, he stopped, and gasped. Disbelief reigned over his every emotion. Had he really found it? He stepped back, and it was confirmed. He had. He woke Kisara.

"Mmh. . . what is it?" Her skylike eyes became focused, then worried. Her voice was sharp as she spoke to him. "I was asleep? Has anything happened? Oh, I'm sorry!"

He hushed her. "Just look."

She did, and she gasped. Before them was a gigantic magical circle, outlined by mystic runes that seemed to hum, filled in by a pattern of triangles overlaid to form an equilateral star.

The beautiful eyes Seto loved so much displayed pure fear and reverence. "Is it. . . ?"

"A Spellbinding Circle. The most powerful one I've ever seen."

She saw the hard determination in his eyes, and it frightened her. "You're not. . . !"

"WE are. He turned to her. We are going to use it. We will save our Prince and our best dancer. We will not fail them."

She was frightened as she gazed upon him. His hardened stance, his distantly fiery eyes, his able hands – poised in preparation for the very trickiest of magical work – she feared them all. For in the past they had, without fail, meant that the man she loved was soon to put himself in danger. The idea of losing him was one she found herself over and over again unable to bear.

He knew it; he saw it in her eyes. He mentally assessed their situation, and in a rush it came to him that he had to say to her the things he had long been wondering how to word.

"Kisara."

"Seto?"

"No matter what happens here, everything will change for our kingdom because of the results of this. Success on our part would simply be not to have died in our efforts, frankly. Victory would be to retrieve Atemu and Anzu's bodies, heroics to bring them back among the living. I intend upon achieving heroics, Kisara. Also, though. . . it could kill us. Our shielding spell could be destroyed. We could be thrown into a different universe. With the Circle of Spellbinding so large, it is impossible to predict the results of using it. Our lives. . . they could far too easily be extinguished."

She blinked furiously, refusing the tears that demanded entrance to the world outside of her body, to the world that to her existed purely of Seto. She cast her eyes downward, afraid to look at him.

"Please, hear me out!" He struggled to grab her arm, trying to make contact with her eyes. "Because of this, you must know–" Finally he managed to take hold of her chin, forcing her to look at him. "–you must know that I wish. . . that I wish for you to be my wife." From a pocket hidden deeply within his robes he took out a pair of earrings. Shaped like large teardrops, they reflected every burst of energy emitted by the great circle before. She gasped as he knelt. "Would you do me that honor?"

For a long moment she said nothing, simply drank in the image of him kneeling before her. It seemed to him that at one second she was staring at him, and the next she had somehow appeared upon him, embracing him with a strength he hadn't known his delicate love possessed. He took her embrace as an affirmative response, and gently hooked the beautiful jewelery pieces through the holes in her ears.

"So. . . this circle. . . we're going to bind their bodies?"

He shook his head, eyes blazing. "Oh, no. We're going to bind the gods."

* * *

And here I shall treat you all to a wonderfully evil cliffie. Now isn't that nice of me? If you want your review replied to, simply say so, as we're no longer allowed to reply to reviews within our chapters. Peace out dudes and dudettes!  
_-Lilacs_


	9. Wedding

DISCLAIMER.  
Yuugiou is not mine. Which is a shame, really. He's darn cute.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.  
This is the end, folks. Thanks to all who stayed on since a year ago, I love you guys. Peace out.

X x x x x X

Anzu leaned happily into Atemu amidst the delighted ring of wedding bells, remembering everything.

There wasn't much to recollect about the first part. There was cold, and there was warmth. There were the Gods, and there was Atemu. There were sneers, and there were encouraging words whispered into her ear. Whispering for her to turn away from death, back to life. The red dragon had a terrible sneer, she remembered, thick and hideous and formed with a sort of sadistic delight which reeked of blood to be spilt—her blood, Atemu's blood.

Somewhere in the middle, Seto and Kisara had entered the picture; she wasn't certain when. Her mind had begun to freeze, the scarlet draconic figure's smile loomed closer, superimposed cruelly over her shivering brain. Kisara appeared beaten to shreds, Seto practically supporting her, though her eyes never blinked, matching his in brilliance and unwavering strength. Icy mahogany and fiery cerulean beat the dragon down, the other Gods following, trapped in a Circle of Spellbinding. Then Kisara had collapsed. Seto had walked over to them, groping blindly about with his energy. They could not be seen. With her mind, she grabbed his hand. They had all been transported back, the Gods released, left with a note of explanation etched into the ice in glowing blood from Kisara's cut hand.

They had arrived home, and Anzu had fallen asleep.

X x x x x X

Atemu ran a finger gently over Anzu's shoulder. His road to their current position had held a few more troubles.

They had arrived home, and Anzu had fallen asleep. Amane, Ryou, and Dorobo had rushed to assist their party, eyes wide in petrification at Kisara's state. Seto had refused bedrest to stay by her side. Amane and Ryou had taken the other three up to the dancers' room. Dorobo grabbed Atemu's hand the second they were around a corner, tugging him viciously in an opposite direction.

"What the. . . !"

"Come with me!" Dorobo snarled.

"Wha--"

"Just _come_, dammit!"

"Dorobo, what on earth is going on?"

"_Your brother_," he hissed, eyes raving, "_is now being talked into suicide by your father_."

"WHAT?"

They had run as fast as their legs would allow them to, flying up staircases to the King's third-floor office. Atemu burst through the door. "Yuugi! FATHER!"

The King looked up solemnly. Yuugi, sitting in the chair before their father's desk, barely dared move. He could not believe in the voice he was hearing.

"YUUGI."

He was forced to turn. His expression flew from one of despair to one of bewilderment. He launches himself at his older brother, his chair knocked to the ground. Atemu embraced him tightly, turning on his father. He mustered all the calmness he could, biting his tongue as he tried to speak.

"Father. What. Have. You. _Done_."

For a moment it seemed as if it had been the King who had frozen beneath the Greathen o Hanara. For a moment he moved not. Then he slowly, cautiously, fearfully stood up, walking to face his elder son, and placed his crown on Atemu's head.

"I have resigned."

It was rumored by some that the King had himself committed suicide. It was rumored by others that he had immigrated to Ergden incognito and joined one of its nursing homes to live out the rest of his days in peace. It was rumored by still others that he had become a hermit living deep inside a wood somewhere in Eythereau.

It was known by Eythereau's magical masters and close companions of Yuugi and Atemu that the second was true.

Atemu, as King, had spoken with Shizuka, kindly but firmly broken off their engagement. His first law in his new position forbid arranged marriages and allowed divorces and the breaking-up of engagements.

Anzu and Johnny had consequentially detached themselves from each other as quickly as possible.

Seto and Kisara, a day later, announced their engagement and their plans to marry by the season's end. The entire kingdom was treated to an month of excellent gossip before it was cut short by their wedding.

X x x x x X

Anzu's eyes grew huge as Seto pulled Kisara towards him and the two performed a wedding dance of twirls and drifting rotations, lifts and pivots. She floated down to him from a lift, a glowing beauty of light blue wearing a sparkling diamond tiara. He kissed his bride slowly, sweetly.

Atemu caressed Anzu's hand, as she so loved. "What a good ending. That dance was spectacular."

Anzu smirked. "That's not the real ending."

He turned to her, confused, as Seto and Kisara made their way through an overexcited, flower-tossing crowd. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_, they just wanted to kiss and end it. So they did." Atemu broke out laughing.

"Not a bad idea, really."

It was Anzu's turn to laugh. "No indeed. But you know, now the people's gossip will get cut short a few minutes. They won't like that."

Atemu's eyes trained themselves elsewhere. "It doesn't have to be. . ."

"What do _you_ mean?"

"I mean. . ." He cleared his throat, and for a second was silent. Then he met her eyes full-on, smiling vibrantly, and pulled from the pocket of his jacket a heart-pendant on a chain, each made of pure, glittering beryl.

"I mean, will you marry me?"

"Of course."

Atemu heard the whispers already beginning as he blindly fastened the blue clasp at the back of her neck, kissing her gently.

**The end**.


End file.
